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I am a triathlete! Wow never thought I would say that.
This weekend I completed my first triathlon, Race on the Base. My family has participated in Race on the Base for years. My parents usually do the triathlon while I do the 5k or the tri relay. This time I decided I needed to do the triathlon for myself. I have always wanted to do one so this was the perfect goal to add to my 30 for 30 list.

If you know anything about the weather we have been having in Northern California, you realize it’s not ideal training weather. All the snow and rain has prevented me from a lot of running as well as biking. I hadn’t swam since July (when our pool was open) and I probably haven’t biked in that long. So I was no where near trained for this.

My goal was to finish and enjoy it. Which is exactly what I did. The run is my best event, as I run more often. It was a 5k run so I knew I would be golden. I took off. About a mile in I realized my pace was closer to a normal 10k race pace which meant I was pushing to hard. I slowed down, but still not enough. Once I finished the run I transitioned and met my dad for the bike. Thankfully he had volunteered to do the bike and swim with me.

The bike was great. We just chilled and talked and enjoyed the ride. We really had a good time. This course is on the Los alamitos joint forces base and the run and bike are on the runway tarmac. That made the wind really difficult. The second lap on the bike the wind really started to pick up and it wasn’t as fun. I was so happy to see the finish, but dreading the swim portion coming up.

I transitioned from the bike and grabbed my goggles. Thankfully I remembered to take off my sunglasses, but I forgot to take off my skirt. As we ran to the pool, I remembered about my skirt and was thankful dad had to stop to take his shoes off anyway. We stopped and I took of my skirt. The swim wasn’t as bad as I expected. 50 meters is way longer than my tiny pool at home. We had to do 200 meters in a 50 meter pool. The first lap was OK. The second lap was more exhausting by the 4th time I was so ready to be done, but it didn’t seem as long.

I was so happy to get out of that pool and finish. I would definitely train better overall next time. The pool was brutal, but overall I had a great time. It was so fun doing it with my family and having family and friends cheering the whole time.

I left feeling like I could do another triathlon in the future. I don’t know that I would want to do any long distances, but this was fun.

This week I have been gearing up for my first ever triathlon! I know, crazy! As you may remember a triathlon is on my 30 list for this year. I have been working to cross a few things off the list so far and this will be a big one.

This weekend I will be racing in Race on the Base. I have done the 5k a few times and the triathlon as a relay, but this will be my first ever complete tri. As I get ready I am nervous! I haven’t trained for it at all and now that it is here I am worried. What did I get myself into?

While our weather has been horrible the last month or so, it has been really hard to think about training. So this week I have put a lot of effort into mental training. A triathlon has many components and walking through it mentally can be a huge benefit. The transitions are especially important to be prepared for. Last week I bought myself a transition mat (more about that later). I decided to this to help me stay organized and it will be useful for other events like Ragnar.

Trying to figure out what to wear has been another struggle. It needs to be good to run in, comfortable for the bike, but also able to be swam in. As this is a sprint distance I am not going to change clothes between legs. So hopefully I have picked out a good outfit.

So here is my packing list… Am I forgetting anything? Let me know so I can pack it!

Clothing:

Tank top

Shorts

Sports bra

sweats (for before)

Ragnar Jacket (for before)

Flip flops (for after)

Comfy clothes (for after)

Run:

Running Shoes

Hat

Sparkle Skirt (I know not needed but so great!)

Bike:

Bike

bike shoes

helmet

Water bottle

Swim:

Goggles

Towel

Random:

Transition mat

Fuel/hydration

Next week I will recap the race, and do a full review of my gear (especially my new transition mat). I may even do a giveaway! Stay tuned.